Good manners will serve you well in this world, as people view you as a kind person and an upstanding member of the community. Learning the correct etiquette in any given situation will ensure you breeze through life with respect and admiration. And yes, this is the case even when you’re playing at an online casino.
While good etiquette and manners used to be something that you’d do courses or classes in, this has mainly fallen by the wayside. While providers like Emily Post still exist in the wild, etiquette training isn’t something that many people would send their children to, or seek out lessons in themselves. A business etiquette course for cross-cultural communication? Sure, but that’s about the extent of it. And yet, in the politically correct landscape that we find ourselves in today, etiquette is actually more important than ever.
Now, you may not think that etiquette is something that needs to be considered at all when you’re playing at an online casino. After all, if you’re just logging in and playing some slot titles, then who could you possibly offend? There are no human touchpoints in that interaction, and it’s not like you can offend a computer. Even if there is an AI chatbot on the job you’re not going to put them out in any way.
However, this does bring us to where etiquette is important in the online casino space. And that’s in any human interactions that you have while you’re playing at online casinos. So, the question stands. Where is it that we need to consider our manners when playing at an online casino, and how can we ensure we’re doing it right?
And who better to ask than industry expert and Head of Content at ZebraCasino, Mary Ndlovu:
‘Admittedly, it’s a bit of an odd concept talking about online casino etiquette, because one would generally think you need to be physically live and face to face with dealers and player opponents for such a concept to be applicable. However, there are still quite a number of dos and don’ts for online players, and experienced customers have either learned this the hard way or read up about it prior to gambling online.’
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Live Dealers Are Real People
Live dealer casino games are a fun way to get that in-person play feeling from online casino gambling. It’s a mixture of digital and video streaming that makes you feel much more like you’re right there at the table. And yes, that live dealer is a real live person, not computer-generated AI. The dealer is sitting (or standing) in a studio somewhere to be your croupier for the game and they come with the same unique moods, hangups, personal life issues, and other intricacies that make up every other single human being on this planet. If you take this into account while you’re playing, then you are well on your way to ensuring you’re keeping good etiquette.
For a start, if you have an open chat line with your dealer, you can feel free to add friendly comments to them such as thanks for good rounds of play. What may not be appropriate is compliments about their appearance or jokes, depending on the person. Oftentimes dealers will be from another country and you may say something that might be offensive in another culture, so stay vigilant.
If there is an option to tip your dealer, then do so! Just as tipping for excellent rounds at a real-life casino is good etiquette, so too is the equivalent at an online casino. There is no need to over-tip, just whatever you feel is appropriate.
Abusing Customer Support Is Not On
Customer support is another human touchpoint within online casinos. While you may be faced with a chatbot or AI-powered assistant, to begin with, eventually you will be put in touch with a human for any customer service-related functions.
Now, while people are often reaching out to customer service in the event that something has gone wrong, that doesn’t mean that you should be taking out your frustration on the person at the other end of the line. After all, it’s not that person’s fault that something has gone wrong and they have feelings just like anyone else.
Treating your customer service representative rudely is bad etiquette, whether it’s becoming angry at the woman at the hotel desk, yelling at the help counter at a supermarket, or just typing angrily at the customer service person who you’re chatting with at the online casino.
Don’t Irritate Your Fellow Players
Does your online casino give you the chance to chat with other players, through in-game texting, forums, or social media spaces? Well then, that is another avenue where you should practice your good manners. Instead of gloating over your amazing win, congratulate others when they have one. Instead of filling up chat channels with emojis, have an intelligent conversation. Instead of going off in the comments section, have a think about who might be reading your comments instead. Online gambling where you interact with other players is a public forum and how you present yourself within this forum reflects on you personally. Just something to keep in mind.
Be Considerate Of Those Around You
The last point that we will make about etiquette at online casinos has nothing to do with casino play itself. In actual fact, this last point is more about device use in general and how it affects others around you. The usual etiquette rules apply.
Don’t gamble while at the dinner table or when in social company, except in times of relaxation (e.g. while your partner and you are watching TV in the evening). Turn off the sound of your device when you are in earshot of others, or use a headset to listen. Don’t let gambling interrupt another important activity you should be doing with another person. If someone requests that you put your device away then it’s best to acknowledge and meet that request.
While gambling can be a social activity when you’re going to a casino or the racetrack, it’s rarely something that you will do in the company of others when you’re gambling online. If the person you are in the presence of is not interested in online gambling and would like to do a shared activity, then etiquette dictates that you should come up with something to do together. While it’s all well and good to spend your own time at online casinos, it certainly isn’t to everyone’s tastes. And good manners are all about getting the best outcomes for everyone involved.